Microsoft gives some testers an early look at Office 15; beta coming this summer

Since it finally took the wraps off the radically reworked Windows 8 last year, Microsoft hasn’t been shy about providing details about how its operating system will look. But that’s not the case with the next version of Office, the productivity suite that’s traditionally been developed alongside new versions of Windows.

Sure, there have been a handful of leaked screenshots, but none show a redesign as aggressive as that which Windows has undergone. It’s expected that the traditional look for Office will be present for those using older version of Windows and the Windows 7 desktop that will be available in Windows 8, but most Microsoft observers believe we’ll see a whole new Office interface for use with Win8′s Metro UI.

Now, a lucky few testers are going to get a look at what’s coming. On Monday, Microsoft kicked off a technical preview of Office 15, as it’s known for now. Unfortunately, if you don’t already have access to the preview, you can fuggedaboudit. Microsoft Corporate Vice President P.J. Hough says the preview program is already full.

But good things come to those who wait. A public beta is coming this summer, Hough says. And for those who think this won’t be a major reworking, consider this from Hough:

With Office 15, for the first time ever, we will simultaneously update our cloud services, servers, and mobile and PC clients for Office, Office 365, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, Project, and Visio.

When will you be able to buy the finished version of Office? Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet has some ideas:

I’ve heard from my contacts that Microsoft’s goal is to RTM Office 15 by the end of calendar 2012. I’ve heard the Softies are wavering back and forth between calling Office 15 “Office 2012″ and “Office 2013.” (If the product RTMs very late in the year, they may opt for the 2013 name.)

With Office 2010, July 2009 was the date of the tech preview release. November 2009 was the public beta. February 2010 was the release candidate. Release to manufacturing was in April 2010, and general availability was June 2010.

While it sounds to me like Office 15 might not be available until 2013, Ed Bott thinks that doesn’t mean Windows 8 will necessarily slip. In fact, he thinks this schedule means an aggressive release of Win8:

Based on this schedule, I think it’s strongly possible we’ll see Windows 8 finished and delivered to OEMs before Labor Day. ARM tablets running a preview version of a “Metro-ized” Office could even be available by then.

Certainly, Microsoft is under pressure to get Windows 8 delivered to its hardware partners before the 2012 holiday season. With Windows-based PC salesflat and even declining in some markets, the industry needs some excitement to jumpstart it. Whether a completely different Windows look-and-feel will be a boon or a boondoggle for the business is the big question.

In addition, changes to Office can be even more controversial than those made to Windows. Remember the howls of protest from the change-averse when the ribbon was introduced in Office 2007? I suspect Microsoft will still offer a traditional interface in Office 15, but likely will make a Metro interface the default if you’re using it on Windows 8.

Still, Microsoft has been paying attention to feedback it has been getting on Windows 8. For example, Paul Thurrott highlights an entry at the Building Windows 8 blog in which Microsoft details changes it has made based on response to the developer preview of Windows 8. The most interesting item:

Explorer ribbon changes. Microsoft is making a number of changes to the Explorer ribbon user interface. First, and most amazingly, it will be minimized by default. (This happens to be my preferred way to use it.) Second, the ribbon will now display keyboard shortcut hot-keys so that you can easily see what keyboard shortcuts will trigger commands. And third, Explorer customization settings are being added to the list of Windows 8 features that are synced to the user’s account on Windows Live. This allows customized settings to be configured once and then used on any PC for which you’ve logged on with a Windows Live ID. Nice!

I’m a big ribbon fan, but I didn’t really see much need for it Windows Explorer, where most actions are handled with mouse actions and right-clicks. This is the right design move.